Police in Manchester have sent hundreds of criminals a Christmas card featuring an image of prison food served with a sprig of holly and a cracker as a reminder to stay out of trouble over the festive period.

The card borrows a slogan from a Marks & Spencer advertising campaign as a sarcastic reminder of the grim prospect of Christmas behind bars. One half of the card features an image of Christmas dinner with all the trimmings with the caption: “This is not just a Christmas dinner.” The other half shows a warmed-up pie served by a custody sergeant with the caption: “This is a GMP custody suite Christmas dinner.”

The card, sent to almost 1,000 known offenders in the Manchester area, adds: “Be a saint this Christmas or spend it in the nick. Best wishes from Greater Manchester police.”

Supt Chris Hankinson, a branch commander with the force, said: “Whilst this card does poke a bit of fun at our custody suites’ meal options, there is a serious message behind this. This card is our reminder that we will not tolerate a small handful of people ruining a special time for many, and will take action where appropriate.

“We’d ask all recipients of this card to be mindful of their behaviour and to make the right choice – it’s either behave or spend Christmas behind bars. The choice is yours.”

The M&S “Not just any food” campaign was launched in 2005 with a pudding advert featuring a sultry voiceover from Dervla Kirwan. Sales of the pudding increased by 3,500%.